My second grade students are learning about writing Friendly Letters and the five components in a Friendly Letter. Google Docs are a great way to allow students to communicate while demonstrating their understanding of letter writing. It is a safer and easier alternative to email in a school setting with younger students. It is important that the document is shared and anyone with the link can edit the document.
My second graders are learning about story writing with narrative elements. It is important that the students include a beginning, middle and an end. My students are also working on focus, content and conventions. Practicing using details and colorful words is another important component to story writing. I typically set my students up with a topic to write about, give the students time to discuss a story line or plot and tell them to decide who is writing the beginning of the story, the middle and the end. Students type their part of the story at the same time on different computers, but they can write their part of the story at different times as well. My students seem to really enjoy collaborating and writing stories with other students. Different environments, experiences and backgrounds allow for great story collaboration. It is important that the document is shared and anyone with the link can edit the document.
My second grade students used Google Docs to write personal narratives. It is important that the document is shared and anyone with the link can edit the document. Other students can ask questions on the document and the students can correspond via the Google Doc.
VoiceThread is a Web 2.0 tool where students can collaborate and share information through slides on the web. This site requires an Internet connection and a membership. Certain memberships require a fee depending on the level you purchase, the site does offer a free membership, however, the user abilities are very limited. I would recommend downloading an educator membership. Students can use VoiceThread in the classroom to share and present information that they create. Teachers can also use VoiceThread within lessons to enrich and engage students. This site is a three step process: uploading, commenting and sharing. The comment feature is the best feature of this site. Other users can comment on slides by recording a comment with just voice, typing a comment or video commenting with a camera. Commenting allows students to engage in conversations and collaborate. I recommend VoiceThread to any teacher in any education field.
Below I have included a few examples of different VoiceThreads that my students have completed.
This first VoiceThread is a student sharing information about her pet, she drew the picture and I helped upload it, then she recorded and spoke about her picture and pet.
The second VoiceThread is a student sharing information about her daily routine, she drew a picture of her day and I helped her upload the image, then she recorded and spoke about her picture and her day.
The third VoiceThread is a student telling about her favorite weekend activity. She drew a picture of her favorite weekend activity and I helped her upload the image. After the image was uploaded she recorded and explained her picture.
The fourth VoiceThread is a student sharing what they want to be when they grow up. He drew the picture of himself working, I helped upload the image and then he recorded and spoke what he wants to be when he grows up.
The final VoiceThread that I included is a student sharing information about her family. She drew a picture of the people in her family and spoke about the picture.
WikiSpaces Wiki-spaces are a free collaborative website that allows users to comment and edit. Wiki-spaces require an easy sign up and log in every time you want to access it. Wiki-spaces hosts many different domains and the wiki-space account combines all the different wikis and houses them together on one primary domain. Wiki-spaces are very easy to edit and view, it offers a very simple uploading feature that allows files to be uploaded, linked or embedded. Wiki-spaces is a great Web 2.0 tool that allows for student engagement, collaboration, and creativity. This is a perfect tool for older students to create and use, however, younger students may find the creating part a little challenging and need guidance, but the navigation is very simple.
My students use a class Wiki-space as a place to keep all of their classwork while they collaborate with other students. The Wiki-space is a common place where both classes can meet and work collaboratively. My students are very comfortable accessing the class Wiki and they look forward to the posts. I have also given my student's families the link and web address to the class Wiki. The families of my students enjoy browsing and commenting on the different activities that we are working on as well.
The Animoto was created as an example of a slideshow that my students put together. We highlighted the city we live in and images were uploaded to show some of our favorite things to do in the city. My students enjoyed uploading images, adding text and choosing backgrounds with music. This site is very user friendly and Animoto offers a free educator membership. Animoto is another great Web 2.0 tool that offers a unique way to present information while collaborating with another class.
Examples of ways to utilize Web 2.0 tools with language arts in the classroom
Google Doc- Friendly Letter
Google Doc- Brainstorm Questions
Google Doc- Story Writing
Google Doc- Personal Narrative
VoiceThread
WikiSpaces
Wiki-spaces are a free collaborative website that allows users to comment and edit. Wiki-spaces require an easy sign up and log in every time you want to access it. Wiki-spaces hosts many different domains and the wiki-space account combines all the different wikis and houses them together on one primary domain. Wiki-spaces are very easy to edit and view, it offers a very simple uploading feature that allows files to be uploaded, linked or embedded. Wiki-spaces is a great Web 2.0 tool that allows for student engagement, collaboration, and creativity. This is a perfect tool for older students to create and use, however, younger students may find the creating part a little challenging and need guidance, but the navigation is very simple.
My students use a class Wiki-space as a place to keep all of their classwork while they collaborate with other students. The Wiki-space is a common place where both classes can meet and work collaboratively. My students are very comfortable accessing the class Wiki and they look forward to the posts. I have also given my student's families the link and web address to the class Wiki. The families of my students enjoy browsing and commenting on the different activities that we are working on as well.
Animoto
The Animoto was created as an example of a slideshow that my students put together. We highlighted the city we live in and images were uploaded to show some of our favorite things to do in the city. My students enjoyed uploading images, adding text and choosing backgrounds with music. This site is very user friendly and Animoto offers a free educator membership. Animoto is another great Web 2.0 tool that offers a unique way to present information while collaborating with another class.
Click here for some resource information